Destiny of His Pack, Book 2
Chapter 3

Marissa

I looked over at Rafferty, and then looked at his Da wondering if this was a good time to talk about this. Looking back at Rafferty I saw that he was also looking at his Da.

The Alpha began addressing the Pack by saying, “When Rafe called me telling me he had found his mate, the Alpha in me knew something was wrong. The father in me heard the hurt in the voice of his pup, and the fear. He told me he might not be returning because after he told me his news, I might not want him to come back, the Pack might not want him to come back.”

I heard the shocked mumblings of the crowd as the Alpha spoke and I buried my face in Rafferty’s chest as he held me tight.

“I want you to understand something. My son, Rafe, my only pup, he is my legacy and I have stood behind him in all his decisions and will continue to do so. When the time comes for him to take my place as Alpha, he will do so with a mate who has lion shifter blood flowing through her veins. This same blood will run through their children.” He looked at Rafferty and nodded.

Rafferty turned to the crowd and spoke. “As most of you know my mother’s mark showed one pup, which is me. My mark shows we will have twins, just as my father has a twin and just as Marissa’s brothers are twins. Marissa’s mark states, ‘love will overcome’.”

“That is not a bad thing child” Rafferty’s grandmother stated. “It just means you will have twice the children to love.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her and she smiled in return.

“Yes, Grandmother, and I will love them both when they get here,” Rafferty agreed. “However, here was our worry. One will be a wolf shifter and one will be feline shifter, and both of them will carry the alpha gene.”

The pack became so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

“Let me look at your mark, Rafe,” his grandmother quietly said.

Rafferty pulled up his shirt sleeve.

After glancing at it, his grandmother, loud enough for the Pack to hear, said, “Rafferty’s mark includes the full moon which he received with his first shift. It also has the wolf track that came to be when he turned eighteen. Under those two things, we now have a young wolf pup and a young cub facing each other, paws raised and touching, their faces lifted toward the moon.” She paused letting this sink in for a moment.

His grandmother then turned both Rafferty and me to face her. Taking a hand from each of us, she gazed into our eyes as she spoke these words, “Children are a blessing. Rafe, when your father and his brother were born, I knew my little Jeff was a leader. He was so much like his father that sometimes he would holler, and my wolf wanted to bow before him in submission.”

At this the crowd chuckled.

His grandmother smiled and continued. “Understand, it will not be easy with two children who are both an Alpha. However, if you are blessed with two, then two are needed and we as your Pack will follow. Those who don’t like it are free to leave.”

Grandmother hugged us both and stepped away to stand next to Rafferty’s grandfather.

“Does anyone have a problem with your future Luna baring a pup and a cub as Alpha?” The Alpha asked.

“I have a problem with the future Luna herself! I don’t wish to be told what to do by a pathetic feline,” a blonde woman said as she stepped from the crowd.

Rafferty

I frowned trying to place her, should I know her?

“Rafferty who is that woman?” Marissa asked looking at me.

“I don’t know I—wait, I remember now,” Rafferty whispered. “She followed me around for days after my first shift insisting, she was my mate.”

“I am your mate. You just don’t want to admit it. My name is Emily. Why won’t you remember that?” The blonde said as she walked up and placed her hand on my arm.

I heard a sound from next to me and glance down at Marissa. She had narrowed her eyes to glare at the woman’s hand on my arm and her lips were dawn back baring her teeth. Did she just hiss, like an angry cat?

“I think you need to remove your hand because the last time I looked, I was the one with Rafferty’s mark, not you.” Marissa said quietly yet with authority.

“I don’t care because he can just reject you and mark me. I should be his mate, not you. This pack should be led by a wolf female beside their Alpha!” The blonde growled out.

Marissa didn’t back down. In fact, after removing the blonde’s hand on my arm she stepped closer.

“Shall I prove to you that this ‘pathetic feline’ can rule next to your future Alpha? I’ll give you a warning though, I have two brothers who happen to be lion shifters, and they taught their little sister well.” Marissa cocked her head and gave Emily a mocking smile.

“Love, I don’t think you have to—” I began.

Marissa turned and interrupted, saying, “I got this trust me.” Then she quickly looked back at Emily.

Emily laughed. “Really? You seriously want to fight me?” She pointed at her chest then shrugged. “Fine, let’s fight. Take this!” Emily pulled back and slapped Marissa.

The crowd gasp as Marissa’s head turned from the impact.

I growled ready to step in when a hand grabbed my arm. Looking over I saw Pop standing there, his eyes glowing the yellow of his wolf just as I knew mine were. My wolf wanted to defend his mate.

“Leave her,” Pop command. “Marissa needs to prove herself worthy, for herself, her pack, and to her mate.”

“But, Alpha...” I all but growled.

“No, leave them.”

I turned back to see Emily snickering.

Marissa wiped blood from her mouth. “You know I have a brother, his name is James, and he’s a brute. As I watched him and Rafferty fight, and Rafferty win, I realized brute strength isn’t always needed, sometimes it takes strategy and ...” Marissa’s voice faded.

“And what?” Emily shouted.

“Two hands,” Marissa told her with a grin. Then she locked her hands together and held her arms out straight.

Before I even realized what she was doing, she had swung her arms like a baseball bat and hit Emily upside the head.

Emily screeched as she went flying about fifty feet before falling and sliding across the ground another fifty feet. She came to a stop at the feet of two boys who stood over her their mouths hanging open.

Marissa turned to me and smiled. “Do you know what James said the first time he showed me that move on a boy who was picking on me?”

“With James I’m almost afraid to know,” I admitted.

Marissa laughed and deepening her voice she said, “And that Pip is the way the cat teaches the dog to stop chasing him and biting at his tail. Funny that because I didn’t know he was a lion at that time.”

I had to chuckle as I glanced over at Emily who was staggering to her feet holding her jaw. “For once I believe I agree with James. That’s one wolf who won’t be trying to bite my kitten’s tail.” Then I pulled her in for a quick kiss.

“Thank you, Rafferty, for trusting me to take care of her,” Marissa whispered.

“Anytime, love, just know I have your back if you need me,” I told her.

“Wildee Pack, you future Alpha and Luna!” Pop shouted, and once more the crowd cheered.

My mate, my sweet Marissa had proven to them that even though she was a feline, she was capable of leading them.

We stood and greeted pack members as they came forward to introduce themselves to Marissa. Everyone seemed to be ok with her being a feline and the younger ones wanted her to teach them the move she had used on Emily. She told them they would have to take that up with their Alpha, he might take exception to half his pack being used as baseballs. Everyone got a good laugh over that.

After about two hours Marissa leaned against my side wrapping her arms around my waist and yawned.

“Sleepy, love?” I asked her while gently running my fingers through her hair.

Marissa looked up at me, her eyes were half-closed. “Yeah, it’s been a long day. Will it upset anyone if we slip away?”

“No, love, it won’t. Come on, I’ll carry you,” I said bringing her around to face me and putting her arms around my neck.

Marissa began to protest. “I’m too heavy for you to carry back to the house, Rafferty, I can walk I...”

“Hush, love, I promise you aren’t heavy. Now, when I lift you put your legs around my waist,” I said as I put my hands on her waist and lifted her off the ground.

Wrapping her legs around my waist she kissed my neck as she snuggled her face into the crook. “I love you, Rafferty. You are so good to me.”

“I love you too, now sleep,” I said.

With one last soft sigh I heard her breathing slow and she was out, I started walking.